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DEXTER SYMONDS, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF, BENJAMIN WOODWARD, AND M. S. MARSHAL.

Letters Patent No. 65,136, dated ZVIay 28, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN OIL-STILLS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, Dnxrnn S stems, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Stills which are used for Deodorizing and Refining Hydrocarbon or other Oils, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan or top view of the still which is generally used for deodorizing and purifying oils, a portion of the top or cover having been removed to show the upper screen.

Figure 2 is a top view of the condenser used in connection with the still Figure 3 is a vertical central section of fig. 1-; and I Figure 4, a vertical central section of fig. 2.

A curved pipe or tube, vA, exten'ding from the top of the cover or of the still to and through the top of the condenser downward to near its bottom, connects the still and condenser together, andone or more radial pipes or tubes C are secured to the lower end B of the pipe A, and communicate with the interior of the latter. Inlet or supply pipes l) I) connect with the still near its top. One of these supply pipes is to admit. the oil to be acted upon within the still, and the other pipe is to admit water strongly impregnated with lime or chloride of lime; both the oil and lime-water being contained in proper reservoirs, and in a position sufliciently elevated to allow the same-to pass freely into the still, as desired, or in a position less elevated, and pumped in. The upper cock E connected with the still is for drawing ofi' oil, and the bottom cock F is for drawing off water. Two cocks, G and H, connect with the condenser at a, and one cock, I, connects with the tank around the condenser near the bottom of it. This lower cock I is for drawing olf the water from the tank. The upper cock G is for drawing of? the light oil which passes over from the still through the pipe A, and the cock H is for drawing 011 water fromvthe condenser, when desired. A pipe or tube, 6, is arranged in the top of the condenser, through which I admit-the strong lime-water used for deodorizing the light oil which passes off from the still before it can be acted upon by the lime-water contained therein. I

In charging the still for operation, I first admit through one of the pipes D any desired quantity of the oil to be deodorized or purified; I then admit through the other pipe D about one-fourth the quantity of the stronglyimpregnated lime-water; I then apply to the external surface of the still, and generally to the bottom, an adequate amount of heat to raise the temperature of the contents of the still to boil the water,1continuing the boiling operation a suitable time, which is generally from five to ten minutes, or, upwards, or until the'lighter portion of oil has passed over into the condenser; I then admit more of the lime-water to cool the contents of the still and replace the water which may have passed off with the light oil. This cool or cold water causes agitation of the oil and lime-water within the still to cease, so that the oil which has been deodorized by boiling and agitation with the lime-water may be drawn off, and the still newly charged with oil from the reservoir, as before, each operation being performed in the same manner. The light oil which passes over into the condenser may be allowed to pass continually out of the condenser through upper pipe Gr,'the cock of which may be left open for that purpose, andsaid oil pass into a properreceiver.

It is well known that when oil and water are forcibly mixed together, and suflicient heat applied to boil the water, the mixture will foam and rise in the still; and I have found that when lime-water is mixed with impure oil for deodorizing and purifying the same by boiling, a great disturbance and agitation of the mixture occurs, rendering the operation extremely difficult and often quite impossible. To overcome all this difiiculty of the oil and lime-water foaming or rising in the still, I employ one, two, or more suitable screens K, which may be perforated metal, or woven wire, 'or any other suitable net-work, or slats or bars which will break the film formed 7 by the oil on the top thereof, and allow the vapor and heat to pass off through the pipe A into the condenser.

As soon as the boat and vapor begin to pass oif from the still, the oil and lime-water settle down to ordinary agitation and allow the deod'orizing and purifying operation to be very perfectly performed.

In addition to the above-described effect of the screen or screens to break the film on the top of the oil and allow the heat and yaper to pass freely over into the condenser, the screen or screens aid materially in bringing into contact more frequently the particles of oil and lime-water within the still, causing the lime-water to act more readily and rapidly upon the oil to deodorize and purify the samejwhereas, if the screen or screens were not used, the oil would so foam and rise, as hereinbefore statecl, that it would be nearly or quite impossible to perform the deodorizing operation. Besides, the particles of oil and lime coultl not be brought into contact .sufiiciently frequent to make the operation practicable.

Having fully described my invention, and the mode of operation, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In stills for deodorizing and purifying oils where the substance or material used and the process of deodoraninganrl purifying are herein described, I claim the employment of one or more screens, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as setforth.

And I also claim the employment of a screen or screens in any still where the substance or material under operation is liable to foam or rise, as set forth.

DEXTER SYMONDS.

Witnesses:

Jenn E. CRANE, I. B. SAMUELS. 

